Recently, I have had the pleasure of spending time with leaders doing critical work in communities. These leaders run school systems across the country, spearhead ecosystem work with policymakers, and serve children directly in the highest need situations. Through those conversations, a few things rang true about the difference between check writing donors and champions.
Most donors begin their philanthropic journey as check-writers to mission-aligned organizations. There is tremendous value in that financial commitment; it is the essential fuel nonprofits need to operate, grow, and scale. But if you’ve ever felt like your contribution could do more, or if you’re seeking deeper personal fulfillment in your giving, it may be time to take your philanthropy to the next level.
By offering your skills, influence, and trust, you move from a check-writer to a champion of impact. There’s an art to this. It requires you to lean in without overstepping, acting as a strategic force multiplier while honoring the expertise of practitioners on the ground. The result is that your investment goes further towards meaningful, sustainable impact.
If you’re thinking about embarking on the journey from check writer to champion, here are five things to consider:
- Deploy Your “Zone of Genius.” The most accessible entry point to becoming a champion is often overlooked: your own professional expertise. While your capital is vital, your “zone of genius,” whether in legal strategy, financial oversight, or communications, can be a game-changer for a nonprofit. A champion understands that a sustainable organization equals sustainable impact. Offer direct support that leverages your professional strengths to help an organization run more effectively, working in close collaboration with nonprofit leadership to understand how your skills can be most supportive.
- Practice Listening to Understand. Numbers rarely tell the whole story. To be an effective partner, you need to go deeper–and that starts with listening. Prioritize opportunities to hear directly from nonprofit practitioners and the people they serve about the impact of the work. Seek to answer questions like, “Did participants feel treated with respect when they participated in programming?” A deep understanding of the clients and communities being served will sharpen your philanthropic strategy and allow you to better direct resources to impactful work on the ground.
- Invest in the Whole Solution. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with long-time friend and former colleague Shavar Jeffries, CEO of the KIPP Foundation. He discussed how KIPP schools are going beyond classroom learning to address the full spectrum of child and family wellbeing, acknowledging that it’s hard for a child to focus on school if they are hungry or facing instability at home. Donors are often concerned about concrete metrics like test scores and graduation rates; while those data points are important, Shavar encourages KIPP’s donors to invest in the whole solution for students–the holistic supports and services that enable their success in school and in life.
- Lead with “Macro-Level” Trust. Trust is the bedrock of any high-impact partnership. During my conversation with Shavar, he shared that the best donor champions empower social impact leaders to make day-to-day micro-decisions while engaging as thought partners on high-level strategy. It sounds simple. But in practice, it’s a shift from attribution to contribution, valuing what is accomplished in partnership over what your dollar funds. Social change is a long game with inevitable ups and downs. A champion stands with an organization and its leader through those cycles.
- Leverage Social and Political Capital. Use your influence to strengthen organizations you care about by amplifying their impact within your network, connecting them to other donors, and advocating for the policy and legal frameworks that address the root causes of the issues you’re trying to solve. You can offer organizations visibility and credibility that opens doors beyond what nonprofit staff can accomplish alone.
Being a champion isn’t necessarily about writing a bigger check–those are helpful too! It’s about maximizing the one you’ve already written by becoming a full partner in the mission. As you look at your own philanthropic portfolio, ask yourself: Which of these actions could I consider taking? Maybe there is an organization in your portfolio that would benefit from you moving from check to champion-level support.
